Water Lily - information needed

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I have a water lily growing in one of my 10 gallon tanks. The pH is slightly basic (7.6-7.8) and the water is slightly ...

I have a water lily growing in one of my 10 gallon tanks. The pH is slightly basic (7.6-7.8) and the water is slightly hard (don't remember the parameters, but do remember testing and it was on the hard side. Nothing extreme though).

I have 2x15W bulbs in the hood, they are on about 12-15 hours a day.

It grew from a bulb, I had my doubts that it would grow at all as it took several months to sprout, but it finally has.

It's growing very very quickly. The stems and leaves are all a reddish-brown color. Is this normal? I was treating the tank with Rid Ick + when it sprouted.

I have several zebra danios and platies in the tank. Are water lilies OK with these fish? What fish, if any, are they not OK with in case I change my stock? Will it just grow until it overtakes my tank if I don't trim it, or will it eventually stop?

Thanks for the help. Kind of a random purchase that I didn't research ahead of time, and now I'm worried!

12-15 hours a day is too much, 8-12 is a more desirable time frame... do you use liquid ferts, what is the substrate and if you have other plants it may shade the tank, dimming the lights. It is normal for it to be reddish brown, as you most likely have a red tiger lotus lily

If that is a red Tiger Lotus it will overgrow your 10g once it gets going. And it needs nutrients, either a nutritious substrate or liquid fertilizer. I have fairly good growth with the latter in a gravel substrate tank. It is a 90g with two of these plants and the leaves cover the surface completely. As noted in the profile, continually removing the floating leaves [it naturally sends up floating leaves] should cause it to eventually have submersed leaves, though I've never tried this as I use it for the floating leaves.

Thanks! It has already shot up so fast I can't believe it. It sprouted a week ago and it already has 2 stems with leaves at the surface.

Please tell me how to remove the floating leaves. Where do I trim, at the base of the stem? Or just the leaves? Or halfway up?

I'm very new to trimming live plants in an aquarium, this is the first one that has gotten large enough for me to really worry about trimming. I'd love to have some leaves at or near the surface to block out some light, but I don't want it to overtake my tank and block all the light.

Cut the leaf stem right near the base (at the tuber/bulb). Otherwise it will slowly rot if the leaf is removed. You can try removing some of the floating leaves and see what happens. I have read that if enough are removed continually the plant only produces lower leaves, but I don't know if one can get some lower growth and some floating. Christople may know that since he has done this.